Wild Angel
by AbydosGoddess
Summary: The brothers investigate a haunted house in South Dakota. What they find their will change their lives forever. NOTE: This is the story that provides the background on Emily in Roguefire28's Darkness
1. Chapter 1

Sam and Dean Winchester pulled into an old farm town in South Dakota late on a Thursday night. There were rumors of a dangerous and angry spirit in an abandoned farmhouse on the outskirts of town. The boys decided it was worth a look when Sam discovered that someone actually died as a result of injuries from this spirit. The boys pulled up to the hotel, got a room, and carried their things into the room. As soon as they were in Sam turned on the laptop and began to research. Dean looked over at him and sighed before going into the bathroom and taking a shower.

About ten minutes later Dean emerged from the bathroom, dressed only in his ratty blue jeans. He looked over at Sam as he dug through his bag for a clean shirt, or a shirt in general. "Find anything," he asked as he put a grey t-shirt on and walked over to Sam.

"Yeah," Sam answered somewhat excitedly. "This place hasn't been abandoned nearly as long as I thought, only about three years. Anyway, the last owner of the house was a man named Brian Reynolds. He had a daughter named Emily; apparently a very shy girl since it says most didn't know her. Here's the interesting thing, twenty years ago the house burned down, killing Brian's wife and their son Andrew. He was about three, almost four years older than her." 

"Sounds familiar," Dean said simply. "Except you know, I'm not dead," he commented as he dried off his hair.

"So, Reynolds decided to stay in the house. He completely restored it just the way it had been and added a cellar. People said he was never the same after his wife died. I don't blame him but I'd draw a line at this, he used to lock him and his daughter in the house for days." 

"Freak." 

"Anyway, about three years ago he finally lost it, I mean really lost it. They say he killed his daughter then burned down the house, killing himself as well. I guess the spirit is his daughter seeking revenge or something."

"Fun," Dean said sarcastically. "We'll ask around tomorrow and go check it out tomorrow night. Sam nodded and they went to bed. Sam had trouble sleeping but that was nothing new for him.

The next day the Winchester boys asked casually around where they went about the house and the hauntings. All the stories were the same. The moment anyone stepped within six feet of the house a woman would appear, covered in blood. You would suddenly feel very nauseous and dizzy. The woman would scream and move toward you. The few that came in contact with the woman died instantly as their skin was set on fire. "Looks like we're definitely dealing with some sort of angry spirit," Dean said as they gathered the guns together to get ready for their hunt.

They threw the guns and supplies in the back of the car and headed for the Reynolds farm. As they pulled up they saw the charred remains of what had been a beautiful home. Sam and Dean got out of the car, got their weapons ready and slowly walked towards the house. Sure enough as soon as they got within six feet of the house they heard a woman scream. Next to Sam she appeared. Sam moved quickly. The nausea came on soon after that. Sam looked over at Dean as he actually threw up. "Dean," he shouted to his brother. He ran to Dean's side. "This isn't a spirit, at least that's not what's causing the nausea." He pulled Dean back to the car and it all stopped. "High frequency waves," he said simply. "That's all it is." He looked at the house as Dean stood up.

"Whatever that was my lunch back there," he shouted angrily. "Did you get a look at that girl? What the hell did her father do to her?"

"I don't know," Sam said distantly. He studied the house again and walked forward. As soon as he crossed the six-foot mark it started again. Sam looked around, trying to keep from reacting like his brother and losing his lunch. Finally Sam looked over towards the cellar. He saw what seemed to be some kind of projector inside. Sam took the gun and shot at it. Instantly it all stopped. He looked back at Dean. "I don't think this is a spirit." He paused and they slowly walked inside the burned house.

"That was a trap," Dean said as they looked around. Sam found what was left of Emily's room. It was decorated, as any girl's would be. There was a bit of pink but not too much, she was after all twenty-one when she died. Sam looked over at her dresser and found some of her clothes, burned but still in tact. They were mostly dresses, old ones too. They looked like they were from the early 19th century. He thought that was a little strange but maybe she was a vintage girl. "Brian Reynolds didn't want anyone in here for some reason," Dean said entering the room. "This must have been Emily's room."

Sam nodded as he looked around. He found a small bear on the bed, the only thing untouched by the fire. "He must have been hiding something, and I bet you anything its in that cellar." Dean nodded and the two left the house, walking around back to the cellar entrance. As soon as they opened the doors they knew something was off about it. The walls of the place were made of steel. Sam and Dean walked down the steps of the cellar and looked around. They found pictures on the wall, pictures of Emily and her father. They found older ones with four in the picture. "Dean," Sam said calling his brother over. He pointed to the picture of a beautiful blonde woman holding a baby girl and a little boy sitting on his father's shoulders. "That must have been Andrew," he said simply.

The boys continued to look around. After about ten minutes of searching Dean stopped and stared in front of him. There was a door that led into a small room. Dean opened the door and was floored by what he saw. "Sam," he whispered turning to his brother. "Sammy get over here."

Sam turned and looked over at Dean. He walked over and froze at his brother's side. The room was decorated much like Emily's upstairs. There was a bed in the middle of the room. That wasn't what caught their attention though. On the bed, in the center of the room was a woman, no older than Dean. Dean looked back at the pictures then at the woman who seemed to be sleeping. He looked over at Sam. "Emily," Sam said, raising his eyebrows.

As soon as Sam spoke the woman took in a sharp gasp. The boys looked towards her then at each other. Her fingers moved slowly and Dean walked over to her. She was pale, her faced stained with dirt and blood. In the corner of the room lay, what Sam and Dean could only assume were her father's charred remains. The bloodstains on her were unusual, to most anyway. "Sammy," Dean said looking over at his brother. Sam walked over and looked down at her. On the top of her forehead there were about four stains from drops of blood. It wasn't cuts or anything; it was from drops above her head. Sam looked at Dean and they both looked up. There was nothing there but the ceiling was black as if it had been burned. Sam continued to look at the ceiling while Dean looked down at the girl. "Holy crap," he said jumping back. This caused Sam to look down. The girl's eyes were open and watching them. Sam took a step back too.

The girl sat up slowly. She turned so her feet were dangling off the bed. Then she pushed herself off the bed, the blanket that had been on her before fell and the boys found that she was naked. Emily's legs were strong enough yet so as soon as she stood she fell. Dean caught her and set her back down on the bed. He instantly took his long leather jacket off and wrapped it around her, covering her up. Neither brother knew what to say at this point. "Hey," Dean said finally. The girl simply looked at him. There was a childlike look in her eyes that Dean had never seen in someone that age.

"I'll be right back," Sam said. He ran out of the cellar, into the house and Emily's room and grabbed a dress for her. Then he ran back to where Dean and Emily were. "Here," he said handing it to her. She took the dress and stared at them.

"Let me help," Dean said simply. She wasn't strong enough to stand on her own so it made putting the dress on very difficult. Dean held her up as she slipped the small white dress on. It was a bit big for her and hung off her shoulder but at least she was covered up. Dean continued to hold her up as he tied the dress behind her. "There ya go," he said as she sat down. Emily had huge innocent brown eyes and milky white skin. She had long brown hair that tended to fall in her face. "I'm Dean," he said simply. "This… this is my brother Sam. Are… are you Emily Reynolds?"

Emily looked from one of the boys to the other. Finally she nodded. "Em… Emi… Emily," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse and barely even audible. Dean smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear, getting it out of her face.

"Hi Emily," He said with a smile. "Can you tell us what happened?" 

"Sle… sleep," she whispered hugging her knees to her chest on the bed. "Da… daddy said it was time… time for sleep," she whispered looking over at the skeleton. There was a draft down there and it gave her a chill. She shivered a bit and again, Dean wrapped his jacket around her.

Sam led Dean outside of the little room. "What are we going to do," he asked. "This isn't our kind of thing anymore."

"What are you talking about Sam. The girl's mother dies the same way ours does. Her house mysteriously burns down, twice. She's in a coma or something for three years and is still in perfect health except she could do with some stretching of her legs. There is no way she could have survived something like that if there were nothing supernatural going on here." He paused and looked at the frightened child staring at them. "I say we take her to the hotel and figure it out from there.

Sam sighed and nodded reluctantly. Dean sat down next to Emily and looked over at her. "Da… daddy still sleeping," she said softly. 

Dean sighed and looked down for a moment. "Did he hurt you?" She bit her lip and terror filled her eyes. Slowly she nodded. She showed him her arms. They were covered with scars from different things, needles, cuts, cigarette burns. He sighed and shook his head. "Emily," he said softly. "We're going to protect you all right? Why would he hurt you?"

"Em… Emily ki… killed mother," she whispered. "And Andrew." Dean looked over at Sam. "Emily make the fire come."


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean," Dean asked softly. He didn't want to scare the girl.

"He said I brought the fire," she whispered. Tears filled her innocent childlike eyes.

Dean sighed and looked from the girl to Sam. Worry filled the older man's face. "Emily," Dean said quietly. "Is it all right if you come with us? We'll take care of you." She looked at him with fear at first. She was reluctant to go with them. Emily eventually agreed though. Dean picked her up but she insisted on walking by herself. He sighed and walked behind Emily. After stumbling several times, Emily finally gave into letting Dean help her. Dean took her arm and draped it over his shoulder, and then he put his arm around her waist to steady her. As they walked to the car, Sam ran into the house and grabbed some clothes for her. Her steps were slow, as if she had to consciously think about putting effort into walking. Dean helped her most of the way. Her body was so tiny in his arms. Dean was finally able to get a good look at her when she stood. She was covered in bruises and her arms were littered with scars. Most of them seemed to be from needles. That worried Dean as he helped her into the car. After Sam and Dean got in the Impala, Dean looked back at her and smiled. She was staring contently out the window at the sky. Dean pulled out of the driveway and made the thirty plus minute drive to the hotel. As he pulled into the parking lot, he looked back at Emily. She had fallen asleep. He chuckled to himself as he got out of the car. Dean picked up Emily and carried her into the room, placing her gently on the bed.

Emily woke up from the movement and looked at the boys. Dean sat down next to her and smiled. "Do you think you're strong enough to take a shower? I think you'd feel better if you got yourself cleaned off a bit." She nodded slowly and Sam handed her some of the clothes he had taken from the house. Emily stood and walked slowly into the bathroom. Sam looked over at Dean. Both boys sighed in unison and sank down on their corresponding beds. "What are we going to do with her," Sam asked.

"Well, first off, I want to figure out what the hell her father did to her. I mean, how did he make her sleep so long without any medical equipment. There's something off about her, other than the obvious," he said with a sigh. "It was just creepy, the way she looked at me back there. It was as if she was looking through me." As Dean finished speaking, they heard a piercing scream from the bathroom. Dean ran to the door. It was unlocked but he still couldn't get in. "Emily," he shouted, banging on the door. "EMILY!" Finally, Dean was able to open the door. He ran into the room and found Emily sitting in the corner, hugging her knees to her chest. The water was still running in the shower. Dean ran over to her and knelt down in front of her. She was shaking violently as she cried. Dean tucked her wet hair behind her ear. "Emily what's wrong? What happened?" Dean was consumed with concern. The fact that the girl was completely naked didn't even register, a first for Dean Winchester.

Emily slowly looked up at him. "Don't… don't let him find me," she whispered. Her voice was still hoarse and soft. "Pl… please," she pleaded with him.

"Who, your father?" Dean asked softly.

Sam stood in the doorway watching the scene. As soon as Emily looked up and saw him she screamed sending Dean flying across the room. Dean slammed into the mirror. "Dean ," Sam shouted as he ran to his brother's side. Dean stood slowly, brushing the glass out of his hair. He looked at Emily then at Sam.

"Don't… don't send me back," she said softly, rocking back and forth. "Daddy will be angry," she whispered closing her eyes.

"Emily, he's dead. No one will hurt you," Dean said softly.

"Lies, games," she whispered. "Playing games with my head," she said softly. "Shhh, he'll hear you. He's always listening, always. Emily in big trouble," she said closing her eyes. "She should have listened, should have stayed asleep." She shut her eyes tightly and covered her ears as if trying to block out some sound. 

Dean walked over to her and took her arms, forcing her to stop rocking back and forth and she looked up at him. He grabbed her clothes and handed them to her. "Why don't you get dressed and calm down. Then we'll talk about your father." She looked at him and nodded. The boys left the room and she got dressed. Emily walked out of the bathroom slowly and she sat down on the bed. She leaned against the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. Sam and Dean looked over at her. "What happened in there?" Dean rubbed the back of his head to dull the lingering pain from the mirror. Emily didn't answer. She simply stared blankly at the wall across the room. Dean sighed and sat down in front of her. "Emily," he whispered, "we can't help you if you don't tell us what happened."

Emily looked down and hugged her knees to her chest. She bit her lower lip and a few tears fell from her eyes. Dean felt so bad for this girl. He scooted closer to her and wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb. "Bad," she whispered. "Brought fire."

"No," Dean said with an amazingly soothing voice. "You didn't Emily. Did your father tell you that?" Emily slowly nodded. Dean looked back at Sam almost pleadingly and sighed. Then he turned to Emily. Dean placed two fingers under her chin and raised her head to look at him. "Emily," he said softly. "How long have you been in that room?"

"As long as I can remember," she said softly. Dean hated making her speak. Her voice was so hoarse he was sure it had to hurt. "Once a week, every Wednesday, Daddy would tell me 'Time to go to sleep Emily.' I would go to sleep and wake up on Friday night," she whispered. Her voice was broken, frightened. Tears fell from her big brown eyes.

Dean wiped her tears away once more. "Emily, why did you scream when you saw Sam?"

"He had fire in his eyes, like the eyes from my dream." Emily looked over at Sam as he turned away from her. "Fire gone now," she whispered. There was a long silence then finally, "Don't let him find me," she whispered. Emily buried her head in her hands.

Dean sighed and moved closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her and gently patted her back. Emily lay down and rested her head on his lap. Dean didn't know what to do for her. He wasn't used to someone like her. This was Sammy's area. The people always clung to Sam. Sam knew how to talk to them. Yet this girl was clinging to Dean and he didn't know what to do. "Shh," he said softly. Dean gently stroked her hair and looked over at Sam as he sat down on the bed across from Dean and Emily. Both men were silent for almost an hour as Emily cried herself to sleep. Dean picked her up when he was sure she was asleep, and gently set her down on the bed. He pulled the blanket over her and grabbed the extra pillow next to her head. Dean put it on the floor between the two beds, then he lay down an stared at the ceiling, his fingers laced over his stomach.

"Dean," Sam said quietly as he lay back on the bed. "There's nothing here. There's nothing to hunt, nothing to fight."

"She saw something Sam," Dean said quickly, almost interrupting his baby brother. Something in there scared her."

"Dean, what are we supposed to do with her," Sam asked. "I don't want to be the one to say it but she needs help Dean." Sam turned on his side and looked down at his brother as Dean glanced up at him. "She needs help we can't give her."

"Are you saying she should be locked up? That's she's insane," Dean said sitting up. "Sam the girl's been locked up all her life. You want to put a girl an entire town thinks is dead into an institution?"

"Dean," Sam said with a sigh. "Listen to her," he said coldly. "Listen to the way she talks. We can't help her."

"Hell yes we can," Dean said quickly. "Sam, she saw something in there. Something about what her father did is still there. Her mother, the fire. There's got to be something here. We can't just lock her up before we get any answers about Mom. She said she saw fire in your eyes, like the eyes in her dream. Maybe, maybe she's seen what did it." Dean sighed and shook his head. "All that aside, I don't think its safe for her to be locked up." Sam gave him a confused look. "Sam, the people here thing her father killed her. How can we explain what happened to her? She's been asleep for three years with no assistance from technology. No ventilator, no heart monitor, no I.V. How can we explain that without sounding crazy ourselves?" 

Sam sighed and lay on his back. "We can't take her with us Dean. She's a liability," he said simply. "She'll only get in the way, get one of us killed."

"I know that Sam," Dean said simply. "I say we stay until we find out exactly what her father did to her, and what the hell happened in that room after she went to sleep. You saw the blood, the marks on the ceiling, her father's body. We need to find out what happened. I don't think she saw something in there because she's crazy. Well, I mean she's crazy but I think there might have been something in there. She was terrified. I also think she was holding the door shut," he said simply. Dean looked over at his brother and sighed, "And she sent me across the room." Dean lay back down and sighed. "We'll figure out more tomorrow," he said simply. Dean yawned and Sam turned out the light. The two were asleep within seconds.

When Dean woke up the next morning Sam was still asleep, a rarity with the brothers. He sat up and looked over at Sam. Dean rolled his eyes and slowly pushed himself off the ground. He stood and stretched before turning to check on Emily. When he turned and looked at the bed she was gone. "Shit," he mumbled. "Sam," he said shaking his brother. Sam sat up quickly, shocked by the sudden movement. "Emily's gone." Dean looked over and noticed the door was open. He ran to the door and looked outside. He stepped outside and searched the horizon for the fragile girl.

Sam eventually walked up behind him. "How long ago do you think she left," he asked groggily.

"I don't know. I wish I knew where she'd go though," Dean said with a sigh. He ran his fingers nervously through his hair and looked around. "Emily," he called to her. Dean ran to the street and began walking down the street. It wasn't long before he found her. She was lying on the ground covered in blood. "Emily," he shouted running to her. Dean picked up the lifeless girl and carried her back to the hotel. "Sam move," he shouted as his brother got out of the way. Dean set her on the bed and looked for injuries. There were none. The girl was covered in blood though. Dean looked up at Sam with a look of worry in his eyes. "Sam, I don't think this is her blood."


	3. Chapter 3

Sam sighed and paced back and forth across the room. He looked over at Dean, who was holding the sleeping form of a blood-soaked Emily. Dean had a wet cloth and he was trying his best to clear the blood off of her. Sam leaned against the wall and glanced up at his brother a couple times. The look in Dean's eyes Sam had never seen before. He watched as his brother gently brushed away the blood from her face, moving her blood-soaked hair out of her face as well. There was a look of pain in his eyes as he looked down at the girl. Not only was there pain but there was confusion and anger. Finally, after he could take it no longer, Sam pushed himself away from the wall and cleared his throat. "I'm gonna umm… I'm gonna see what I can figure out," Sam said softly. "Ask questions about the family, see if maybe there's someone she would…hurt."

Dean simply nodded, he was obviously too distracted by Emily to really hear what Sam had said. Sam sighed and headed out of the hotel room. When he got to the door Dean finally looked up. "Don't you wreck that car," Dean said. Sam smiled faintly and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. When Sam got outside he noticed the painful pang of an emotion he didn't really understand, jealousy. What was he jealous of? Sam decided to think little of it and he got in the car and pulled away from the hotel.

When Sam was gone Dean looked down at Emily once more. He bit his lip and sighed. She was drenched in blood and he had no idea where it came from. Dean set the girl on the bed, knowing the owners of the hotel would be furious about this. Then Dean stood and walked into the bathroom. He knelt over the side of the tub and turned on the water, waiting for it to fill up. Then Dean walked out of the bathroom and back over to Emily. He picked her up and carried her into the room. Then Dean took off the clothes he had given her last night and sat there for a moment, holding her unconscious form in his arms.

He thought for a while on what would be the best way to do this. Again, as the night before, the fact that she was completely naked meant very little to Dean. That was not usually the case for women and Dean. However he was much more concerned with the blood that covered her body. He didn't want her to wake up and find herself covered in blood it would frighten her. So Dean picked took off his socks and shoes, but that was the extent of his stripping. Then he climbed in the tub, holding her in his arms still and sat down.

Dean still held the cloth he had been using in the other room to rid her of the blood. He set her down in the water and wiped the blood away. After a few moments she was clean once more, though the water had a red tint to it. He stood and climbed out then carried her to the other bed and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders. Dean grabbed some clothes, went into the bathroom and changed before reemerging to find Emily curled up in a fetal position.

She was awake and Dean could see her trembling. He walked over to her, he still hadn't put on the dry shirt but he didn't notice, and sat down next to her. Dean brushed her hair out of her face and looked down at her. "Mornin," he whispered. Dean saw Emily's eyes look up at him. He smiled at her and sighed. "Emily, where did you go last night," he asked softly. She was silent for a long time. "Please tell me." 

"Home," she whispered. Her voice was so soft he could barely hear it.

"Home," he asked. He looked down and sighed. Emily closed her eyes and shivered. Dean placed his hand on her back and sighed. "Shh," he whispered. After another few silent moments he spoke again. "Emily what happened when you went home," he asked quietly.

Emily's eyes lowered and she curled up in a ball. Dean almost felt bad for asking but he had to know. "D… da… daddy," she whispered. "He's angry." 

Dean looked confused as she spoke. He thought her father was dead. A spirit maybe, that wouldn't explain the blood. Then Dean remembered what the projection of Emily looked like. She was covered in blood. "Emily did your father do this to you," he asked. If her father was a spirit maybe he wanted to recreate the projection he made of Emily. Who's blood she had on her was still a mystery to him.

Emily nodded and looked up at him slowly. "He's angry," she whispered. "N… not safe. He'll come for you." 

That caught Dean's attention. Most spirits were bound to the confines of one place. If her father would come for them then maybe he wasn't a spirit. If that was true Sam was in danger. Dean pulled out his cell phone and called Sam. He waited for an answer but there was nothing. "Damn it," he muttered. Then he looked down at Emily. She was so fragile. He didn't understand how she could be so strong at the same time.

Dean bit his lip and stood. "I'll be right outside Emily, all right," he asked quietly. Then Dean stood and walked outside. Once outside he closed the door behind him and did the only other thing he could think of to do. His hands shook as he took the cell phone from his pocket once more. The cursor highlighted over the word "Dad" for a long time before he finally hit sent. After waiting, and getting the same response he got every time he called his father Dean took a deep breath. "Hey Dad," he said in a shaky voice. "Listen uhh, Sammy and I are in North Dakota and umm… well there's this girl and uhh…" Dean paused and swallowed hard. "Well this girl's mom died the same way ours did and umm… I guess her dad didn't take it so well and… What I'm trying to say Dad is that… I don't know how to take care of her. She needs someone like you. I don't know what to do with her and she's…" Dean paused and looked into the window at Emily. "She's different. I can't do this and her father is angry and possibly some kind of spirit or something and I think it might go after Sam and… and I think I'm in over my head here Dad." With that Dean hung up and walked back into the hotel room.

He walked over to the bed and sat down. "You call… ca… called your… your fa… father," she asked softly.

Dean looked at her surprised. "Yeah, how'd… how'd you know," he asked with a slight smile. Dean's voice hadn't been anywhere near loud enough for her to hear. Emily simply smiled. "You heard? How?" She didn't answer again. She really was gifted. Dean wondered if Sam would be like that too. "Yeah, I called my dad. Though, it didn't really do much good." Dean brushed the hair out of her face and smiled at her.

"Sc… scared," she whispered. Emily sat up slowly, holding the blanket up to her. At least this time she was away she had no clothes. Dean finally remembered that and he got up. Dean grabbed her another pair of pants and a t-shirt. She put them on and sat on the edge of the bed next to Dean. She looked over at him slowly and sighed. "Of… of me," she whispered.

"No, no," he said quickly. "I'm not afraid **of** you, I'm afraid **for** you." Dean sighed and looked down at her as she sat back and hugged her knees to her chest. He got up and got Emily a glass of water then handed it to her. "Here, it'll help," he whispered. He watched Emily take the cup and take a few sips. She smiled at him and took another few sips. Dean sighed and shook his head. "Our mom, Sammy and me, our mom she uhh… she died the same way yours did," he said though she already knew. "Emily, I don't care what your father has told you. You were not in any way responsible for what happened to your mother and brother," he said simply.

Emily stared at him and almost dropped the cup of water that she had, if Dean hadn't of caught it she would have. Tears filled her eyes and slowly fell down her cheek. Dean leaned forward and quickly wiped her tears away. No one had ever told her that it wasn't her fault. These boys were unlike anyone she had met. Though Sam terrified her almost more than her father. There was fire in his eyes.

Dean sighed and bit his lip before taking the cup from her. He gently motioned for her to lie down. "You should get some rest," he whispered. She nodded and curled up in a ball on the bed. She was still so exhausted. Dean could see it in her eyes. Her skin was pale and there were dark circles around her eyes. She shivered a little and Dean pulled the blanket over her head. Only seconds later she was asleep. Dean sighed and walked into the bathroom. He let the water out of the tub and walked over to the sink. Dean leaned against the counter and looked in the broken mirror.

This was taking its toll on him as well. Dean was exhausted both mentally and physically. Dean looked down and ran some water in the sink. He splashed it on his face and sighed. He had to gather his thoughts. He could feel so much anger in him because of what her father did to her. Dean sighed and looked back in the mirror. He was shocked to find a man standing behind him in his reflection. Dean turned quickly and saw the man standing there. He recognized the man from the pictures at Emily's house. It was her father.

"Stay the hell away from my little girl," he said coldly. The man didn't look like any sort of spirit that Dean had seen. He had no signs that he actually died and he didn't even look dead. The man moved to Dean and slammed him against the wall, with his hand at Dean's throat. "You and your stupid little brother, stay the hell away from my baby girl," he commanded.

Dean hated being ordered around, especially by an enemy. Dean struggled to get free but this guy was strong. "Sorry about that Mr. Reynolds," he said with a cocky smile. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I made a promise to your 'baby girl'. I don't go back on my promises," he said though his voice was strained by the time he finished since he couldn't breathe. Brian tightened his grip on Dean's throat and Dean felt himself becoming light-headed. His vision was coming in and out and he could almost feel himself lose consciousness. 

"Daddy," a loud shout from the doorway shot through the silence. Brian let go of Dean and dropped his unconscious body to the ground as he turned to his daughter.

"Come on Emily, we're going home." He walked up to his daughter and grabbed Emily's arm. She struggled against him but he was too strong. He dragged her out the door but as he was pulling her away Sam pulled up to the hotel. He jumped out of the car and easily pulled Emily out of Brian's arms. "I'll come back for you Em," he said quickly. "Don't you worry." Then he ran off down the street.

Sam carried the girl back into the room and set her gently on the bed. Then he noticed Dean. "Dean," he shouted. Sam ran into the bathroom and over to Dean. He knelt down beside his brother and checked for a pulse. Luckily there was one. He was breathing too but it was faint. Sam breathed a sigh of relief and turned when he heard a sound behind him. Emily stood in the doorway looking at them. She didn't say anything but there was fear in her eyes. Sam sighed and looked back at her. He stood and walked over to her. "He'll be all right," he said softly.

As soon as he said that, almost on cue Dean began to wake up. "Sammy," he asked before opening his eyes. Dean stood slowly and looked over at them. He could see a red mark on her pale skin from where her father had grabbed her. Dean sighed and shook his head. "Emily, can you go back and lay down I would like to talk to Sammy alone?" Emily nodded and walked back to the bed. Sam walked over to his brother and Dean sighed, leaning against the wall. "I umm… I called Dad," he said simply. "I thought maybe… maybe he could help."

"Did he answer," Sam asked eagerly. His excitement faded quickly when Dean shook his head. Sam nodded slowly showing that he understood. "She'll be okay Dean," he said reassuringly. He still felt those pangs of jealousy and couldn't explain why. He wouldn't say anything to Dean though. He just bottled it up like everything else.


	4. Chapter 4

The boys left the bathroom and walked back out into the room. Dean looked over at Emily who was curled up in a ball on the bed. He sighed and looked down, leaning against the table in between the two beds and on the opposite wall. Dean wasn't sure what to do. This girl needed help, help neither Sam or Dean could give her. He was in over his head with her because he knew the longer they were together the harder it would be to separate her from him. For once Dean wished their father would just answer his phone calls.

Dean looked over at Sam, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. There was silence for a long time. Then Dean looked back over at Emily. She was asleep. She looked so peaceful, so pure when she was asleep. Not that she didn't when she was awake, because in all senses Emily was completely untainted, completely pure almost like a child, but when she was asleep she didn't have the fear she possessed when she was awake. It reminded Dean of Sam when they were younger. The kid was flawless when he was asleep but when he was awake he was scared, he would fight with their father, he was annoying. Dean sighed and looked over at Sam, who was watching Emily. Dean wasn't sure if he could handle the pressure of protecting the both of them. He had enough trouble keeping Sam alive. Though Emily was infinitely less stubborn that Sam.

"We have to come up with some kind of plan Sam," Dean said quietly, to keep from waking Emily. "Her father isn't dead, I saw him. I could hear his breathing. This man has to be stopped or he'll keep coming after Emily until she's dead, permanently," he said with a sigh.

"So what are you suggesting Dean," Sam said coldly. He knew exactly what his older brother was suggesting. It hadn't been the first time Dean suggested something like that and that worried Sam. "If he's alive, we can't kill him. I'm not going to have that on my conscience and I'm not going to let you either. If we kill him we'll be just as bad as him." Dean sighed and Sam smiled almost triumphantly. "So we find some way to stop him, or," Sam paused and looked over at Emily. "We take her and go."

"We can't leave this unfinished Sam. I won't leave her with the fear that her father will find her."

"There aren't many other alternatives Dean," Sam snapped. He looked over at Emily. She moved when he snapped but she didn't wake up. "What else can we do," he whispered.

Dean sighed and looked down. He ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. "I don't know," he said simply. "Let me think on it." Dean lay down on the floor with the pillow between the two beds. Sam lay down on the floor just outside the bathroom, since his bed was now covered in blood from Emily.

"I'll stay awake for a while and make sure no one gets in. I'll wake you up in a few hours and you can watch her," Sam said softly. He heard no response from his brother. "Dean," he whispered. Sam sat up and looked over at Dean to find him already asleep. "Great," he sighed laying his head back down on the pillow.

Sam tried his best to stay awake but eventually sleep took him. Dean woke late that night, or early in the morning whichever way you choose to look at it. He heard movement and it woke him. Dean sat up rubbing his eyes. He got up just in time to see Emily leaving the room. Dean stood and walked behind her silently. Dean wasn't sure if she was awake or not. So he followed behind her as quietly as he could. She walked slowly, gracefully. Dean took note of that. He followed her out into the parking lot, down the street, through the town, past the cemetery, and all the way back to her house. He wanted to stop her but wasn't sure what she was doing. 

Dean watched her walk down into the cellar and was about to follow her when someone grabbed his arm. Dean jumped and was about to punch whoever took his arm then he realized it was Sam. "Damn it Sam," he whispered. "What the hell are you doing here," he asked.

"You woke me up," Sam answered simply. "What do you think she's doing here," he asked. Almost as if on cue they heard a scream from inside the house. The boys looked to the house then at each other and they ran in. Dean got down in the cellar first and when he got down there he stopped dead, causing Sam to run into him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Emily stood staring at her father. He was against the wall across the room. It seemed as though he couldn't move and he looked to be in a great deal of pain.

"Emily, baby what are you doing," he asked quietly. "I just wanted us to be a family again." That only seemed to make Emily angrier and a large gash appeared across his face.

"Emily stop that," Dean called to her. She turned her head towards Dean and another gash appeared across her father's chest. "Emily stop," he said softly.

"Sam said you couldn't," she whispered. "Sam said it was wrong. Sam said that you couldn't do it," she whispered. There was darkness in her eyes, they were innocent and pure yet if one looked deep into them there was darkness there. "I can," she said simply. She turned her head to face her father once more and when she looked in front of her she saw Sam. Emily looked up and screamed sending Sam flying across the room. He was shot straight into the room she had been in and the door slammed shut.

Dean could hear Sam pounding on the door. The room was air tight, if Sam kept pounding on the door and shouting the way he was he would quickly use up all the oxygen. Dean knew this. Dean ran to Emily and grabbed her arm, turning her to face him. "Emily stop it," he shouted. She got scared and Dean went flying away from her. Emily looked back at her father and she walked over to the table. It held all sorts of needles with different things in them. She looked down at the table then over at her father. Emily wasn't a killer and Dean knew that. Dean got up and walked over to her. He stood behind her and turned her to face him. He knew what Emily was going to do but he couldn't turn her into a killer. She was too pure and he didn't want to damage that. Dean stood there for a moment and pulled the gun he had with him out of the back of his belt. He looked down at her, staring into the girl's frightened, innocent eyes. Dean raised the gun; his hand was shaking for the first time since he was a kid. He looked down at Emily. "I'm sorry," he whispered then he pulled the trigger. As soon as he did the pounding in the room stopped and the door opened. Sam stood there and stared. He looked at Dean holding the gun over Emily's shoulder then he looked at her father who lay dead on the floor across the room. "I couldn't make you what I am," he said quietly. After a moment Dean put the gun away and tucked Emily's hair behind her ear. "You don't have to worry anymore," he whispered.

Sam stared at Dean. His brother just killed a human being. He was a murderer. Sam understood though, he knew Dean had to do what he did because it was better for Dean to be the killer than for Emily to be a killer. Sam walked up to him and looked from Emily to Dean as Dean wrapped his arms around the girl's small fragile form. Dean looked over at his brother and Sam swore he saw tears in Dean's eyes. "She's safe now," Sam whispered. Dean simply nodded.

Back at the hotel, Emily was sleeping again and Sam and Dean were packing their things. They planned on leaving during the night while Emily was asleep. Dean looked over again as they were about to leave. He watched her sleep and then he dropped his bag. "We can't leave her hear Sam," Dean said softly. "She'd be devastated and I can't hurt her like that. Plus what are people going to think? She's supposed to be dead and haunting that house." Sam nodded and sat down on the end of the bed.

"How far are we from Pastor Jim," Sam asked quietly, looking up at Dean.

"Couple days drive," he said with a sigh. Dean nodded. He walked over to Emily and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. "Emily," he whispered tucking her hair behind her ear once more. "Emily." Emily slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Hey," he said with a smile. Sam watched he was amazed to hear such tenderness from his brother. "We gotta get goin," he whispered. "Come on." 

Emily sat up and looked at him confused. "I'm… I'm going… going with you," she asked.

Dean nodded and smiled at her. "For a little while yeah," he answered. She stood and Dean put his arm around her to help her. She was still weak and not quite awake yet. The boys packed up the car and Dean helped Emily into the backseat. Then they got in, Dean started up the car and they pulled out of the parking lot and tore off down the highway. Dean glanced through the mirror at Emily who was looking out the window at the sky. "Emily," he said quietly. She looked over at him when he said her name. "Sam and I can't keep you with us, you understand that right? With what we do it would be too dangerous and I don't want you to get hurt." She nodded slowly but something told Dean she didn't believe him. "We're going to leave you with a friend of ours all right. He'll take good care of you." Dean paused and looked over at Sam. "Sammy you should call him before we show up with a strange girl and leave," he said with a laugh. Then Dean looked in the mirror back at Emily. "His name's Pastor Jim, well his name's just Jim, that's not the point," Dean said before he started rambling. "He'll take care of you. We'll keep in touch, let him know where we are from time to time so you don't get worried all right. He's a good guy and knows how to protect you from the things that might hurt you." Again Emily nodded but Dean could tell she didn't want him to leave.

After that the drive was silent. The finally got to Pastor Jim's church and Dean and Sam walked in with Emily. It was fairly empty and Dean smiled when he saw Jim. "Hey old man," he said with a smile.

"I was shocked when you called Sam," he said with a smile. "Wow, you boys are growing up."

"Well one of us obviously ate more vegetables," Dean said pointing to Sam who was a good three inches taller than him. Dean laughed and looked down at the girl who was all but hiding behind him. "Jim, this is Emily," he said moving Emily in front of him. She backed away from Jim and Dean couldn't figure out why she was so scared. Then he remembered what her father told her. He sighed and looked at Sam. "Sammy watch her there's some things I need to explain to Jim." Sam nodded and Jim and Dean walked off. "Emily's special," he said quietly. "Kinda off." 

"Yeah, I got that," Jim said with a laugh glancing back at Sam and Emily. They were sitting in a pew and she was curled up with her head on Sam's lap.

Dean laughed when he saw it. "That's the first time she hasn't been completely terrified of Sam," Dean said quietly. "Her mother, she uhhh… it was uhh… it was the same demon that killed-"

"Mary," Jim said finishing Dean's sentence for him.

"Yeah," Dean said looking down. "Anyway, her dad didn't take it too well, not that anyone would but uhh… he blamed her. Spent the rest of her life trying to figure out what she did or what he connection was with it. Sam and I found her about a week ago in the cellar of her burned down house. She had been asleep in that room for three years. Everyone thought she was dead. Anyway, umm… her father died in the second fire," Dean lied. "She's afraid of you and most likely this place because her father told her she was the devil's child." 

"Oh," Jim said looking over at them again. "I see." 

"Yeah, so it might take some getting used to but ya know, she'll be fine. Just keep her away from anything that could possibly be dangerous for a while." Jim looked at him with a questioning look. "Oh, yeah, she can move things with her mind. The first time she got scared she locked herself in the bathroom…. Without locking the door," Dean said with a smile. "But really, Jim she's harmless. She just gets scared easily and with what her father did to her I don't blame her." Dean sighed and looked back at his brother and Emily. "Keep her safe. Set up some place for her to hide, or something if someone comes for you. Not that I'm saying anyone would but you know, your connection with us and Dad, you never know. Just… just make sure she's safe. I promised her she'd be safe here."

Jim nodded and the two walked back to Sam and Emily. Emily sat up and looked up at Jim with fear in her eyes. Dean sat next to her. "Em, remember what I said about your father? He lied to you, you are not the devil's child. And Jim will take good care of you."

Jim smiled at her and offered her his hand. "Its nice to meet you Emily. Now, lets go see what clothes we have stashed away for you. I'm sure they'll be better than his," he said looking at Dean. Emily smiled and actually laughed. She stood and walked with Jim back towards the back of the church. Dean and Sam stood and were walking out of the church.

"Dean," a small girl's voice called. Dean turned around and Emily walked up to him. "You'll find your daddy," she whispered to him, with a smile on her face.

Dean smiled and wrote his cell phone number down on a piece of paper. "Here, you hold on to this and anytime you want to talk to me you call all right. I can't guarantee I'll answer right then but I will call you back all right?" Emily nodded and walked back to Pastor Jim. Then Sam and Dean walked out of the church to continue their seemingly never-ending search to find their father. "She'll be fine," Dean said more to himself than to Sam as they got in the car and tore down the highway onto their next mission.


	5. Chapter 5

Emily spent the next few months with Jim Murphy. She learned a lot from him. She's still terribly shy but she's learned that not everyone should be feared. Jim got her to open up to him, tell him about her father, and to tell him about Dean. Dean was the first person she remembered that ever cared for her, really cared for her safety and her feelings. Sure she had teachers that worried but no one ever did anything. Dean was the first person that ever showed that he genuinely cared what happened to Emily.

Emily spent most of her days in the basement of the church. She wasn't much for socializing and to be honest the people that came in scared her sometimes. There was a feeling she got with some of them that made her nervous. It was only nerves though. That is until one day about three months after she had been there. Emily was down in the basement; she was walking up the stairs to find Jim. Emily stood in the back and stopped when she felt this feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt as though she were going to be sick. Emily had never felt that before.

When she looked up she saw a young woman walking up to Jim. There was something about this blonde that Emily didn't trust, but she was too frightened to do anything. She froze, standing there and staring. She watched for a moment until she saw the girl's eyes turn black. Then, with a speed she didn't know she had Emily ran down the stairs. Jim had set up a small space in the corner of his weapons room that Emily could hide in. She was small enough to fit and no one would see her unless they knew it was there. Emily ran down into the room and hid in her little hole.

She was trembling terribly and she shut her eyes. Then she heard footsteps. Emily opened her eyes and saw Jim run into the room. He took out a knife and threw it at the woman. She caught it and Emily wasn't really sure what happened next. She heard the woman speak but was so frightened she couldn't understand it. Emily sat there and watched as the woman slit Jim's throat. Emily almost screamed but she knew better than that. The woman stood over the body for a moment then looked over in Emily's direction. She swore that the woman was looking right at her but eventually she left. Emily stayed there for hours afraid to come out in case the woman was still there.

She stared at the body and watched as the blood flowed to the floor and into the hole she was sitting in. She tried to keep it from getting in her hair but was terribly unsuccessful. Emily sat there, hugging her knees to her chest replaying the events over and over in her mind. The sound of his final breath echoed in her mind. She could have done something, stopped it somehow. Why hadn't she done anything? Jim took care of her she should have protected him. She was just starting to like Jim. She hadn't smiled or laughed so much in her entire life. She rocked back and forth and it wasn't until late that night that she finally left the hole. She walked across the room and stood next to Jim's body. Her hands trembled as she slowly closed his eyes.

Emily stood there for a long time, unsure of what to do. She didn't have anywhere to go. Her hands shook terribly as she slowly made her way up the stairs to the small bedroom she had in the back of the church. Emily curled up in her bed and stayed there for two days. Finally she remembered where she put Dean's phone number. She called but got no answer. Emily looked down and noticed a small note on her table for her. It was written in Jim's handwriting. The note read: "Sam and Dean are in Salvation Iowa. They're safe and their father is with them. Don't you worry. Sam says hi."

Emily looked down at it then she quickly ran over to her closet. She gathered her clothes together and threw them into a small backpack. Then she stood and looked down at a picture she had of Sam and Dean. Jim had given it to her; it was a picture of them when Dean was about fifteen. It was all she had of them. Emily grabbed it and threw it in her bag, along with a cell phone that belonged to Jim.

Emily walked out of her room and back down to where Jim's body was. She stood there for a moment. "I'll find them," she whispered. The Emily turned and headed out of the church. She wasn't sure where she was going, or how she was going to get there. But she knew she would find Sam and Dean. She walked along the highway for several hours before calling Dean's cell phone again. Still there was nothing. She was getting tired and she hadn't eaten in at least two days. Emily was exhausted and hungry but she wouldn't give up.

It wasn't until early the next morning that she noticed a truck stop ahead of her. She walked passed it and stopped when she got to the front. "You need a ride miss," the man asked. He was a younger man with dark hair and dark eyes. His skin was tanned and he looked as though he hadn't shaved in a couple days. Emily stood there for a moment. She didn't trust people in general she wasn't sure if she should trust this man either. She had packed a gun and several knives before she left so she was ready to defend herself if need be. Emily nodded slowly and the man opened the door of his black pick-up truck.

Emily climbed in and sat down on the seat. She hugged her knees to her chest and stored her bag on the floor by her feet. Emily looked over at him and she closed the door. Then he pulled back onto the road. He glanced over at her and smiled. "Name's Tristan," he said with a smile, looking over to the girl.

Emily glanced over at him but she didn't say anything at first. She looked down and then glanced over at him once more. "Emily," she whispered.

"Emily, that's a nice name," Tristan said with a smile. He looked over at her and noticed that she was rather pale. She was trembling too. "If you're cold there's a coat behind you that you can wear," he offered. "I got some sandwiches in the cooler down there too if you're hungry. Some stuff I picked up for dinner last night but didn't eat."

Emily leaned down and opened the cooler. Inside she found a cheeseburger that hadn't been eaten. She picked it up and looked over at him. He nodded and she smiled. Emily took it out of its wrapper and took a few small bites. She didn't want to make it too painfully obvious that she was hungry. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"So," he asked quietly. "Where ya headed?" The man had a small accent, hardly even noticeable. His voice reminded her of Dean's. He glanced over at her and smiled. She seemed so nervous, he felt bad. Tristan didn't want to make her uncomfortable. He saw her walking and she looked so fragile. He couldn't just leave her to walk.

"Iowa," she said softly.

"Really," he said with a laugh. "I'll be damned. I'm headed to Des Moines, meeting some family there." He laughed and smiled at her. "Where you headed in Iowa, I might be driving through."

"Salvation," she whispered. 

"Salvation, Salvation," he said to himself. "Hold on." Tristan pulled off to the side and Emily looked over at him. He leaned behind her to grab something and she backed away. He glanced up and smiled. "Relax," he said quietly. "I was just getting this," he said taking out a map. He looked through it and then looked over at her. "I was checkin' to see if we go through Salvation on the way." Tristan looked at the map then he folded it up and put it back behind her. "Well, we don't go directly through it but it's not that far off course. You want me to drop you off there," he asked.

She looked at him, still nervous. She didn't have the bad feeling she got with the blonde woman though. She nodded slowly and eventually smiled. "Thank you," she whispered again.

Tristan simply smiled and pulled back out onto the road. "It'll take a day or so," he said glancing over at her. She was sitting and staring out the window. He smiled and looked back ahead of him as they drove down the highway. After a while he glanced over at her and noticed she was asleep with her head against the window. He noticed her shivering and he reached behind her and grabbed a blanket then he carefully managed to keep driving and wrap the blanket around her at the same time. He looked over at her and smiled.

Several hours later Emily woke up as they pulled up to a hotel. Tristan ran inside and got a room, with two beds and then drove around to find a parking spot. He parked the pickup truck and the two got out and walked into the room. She looked around then back at Tristan. Emily smiled and he smiled back at her. She was strange, in his mind at least. He didn't know what to make of this girl. She was quiet, it was almost creepy but he didn't get any creepy vibe off of her. Emily sat down on the bed and opened up her backpack. She took out her cell phone and tried once more to call Dean. Still there was nothing. Tristan watched as her face turned from a normal, blank one, to a look of disappointment.

Tristan sat down next to her on the bed and looked over at her. "What's wrong," he asked quietly.

"Dean won't answer his phone and he hasn't called me back yet." Dean promised that he would call her back if she called. She had called several times by now and still heard nothing from him.

"Who's Dean," he asked quietly. "Is he your… your boyfriend or something?"

Emily looked up at him she was smiling and obviously trying not to laugh. She shook her head slowly and hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Her long brown hair fell in front of her face but she didn't notice. What was Dean? She had never really thought about it before. Then it came to her, though she wasn't sure how Sam felt about it. "Brother," she whispered with a smile on her face.

"Oh," Tristan said softly. Emily couldn't see it but he was smiling. He looked over at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. It caused her head to whip around and she stared at him. "Sorry," he said quickly. She simply smiled and he looked down for a minute. There was a long awkward silence then he stood quickly and looked over at her. "I umm… I'm gonna… I'm gonna get a shower," he said quickly.

Emily looked at him confused he was acting weird. It didn't make her worry though it only made her laugh. He seemed nervous or something. She smiled and looked down as he gathered some clothes from his suitcase and walked into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and after a moment Emily heard the water start. She lay back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. She had come so far in the last few months and she wanted Dean to see her progress.

She was lost in thought, her memories of Dean and Sam. She looked up when she heard the door open and sat Tristan walk out with only a pair of flannel pajamas pants on. He wasn't bad looking at all. Emily had come far enough to notice that. She never really noticed Dean's looks but she was so afraid her father would find her she didn't notice much of anything. She noticed this man though. His dark curly hair hung in his eyes a bit. His skin perfectly tanned, it reminded her of Dean's skin tone. He was tall, she hadn't noticed that before but she hadn't seen him standing. Tristan's eyes were dark, but not menacing. They were soft, almost inviting. His smile was comforting as well.

Tristan stopped when he saw her looking at him and smiled, he was actually blushing. He walked over to his suitcase and found a black t-shirt and put it on. "Sorry bout that," he said quietly. "Forgot a shirt." He laughed and sat down on the other bed, facing Emily. Emily sat up and faced Tristan, hugging her knees to her chest. There was silence for a long time. After a while Tristan finally spoke. "So this Dean… is he uh… is he in… in Salvation?"

Emily looked over at Tristan. She knew she shouldn't say yes just in case but she was going there and she already said she couldn't get a hold of Dean. "Maybe," she said softly. That was the best answer she could think of. "That's the last place I knew him to be," she said quietly. "I haven't seen him for a few months."

"Oh," he said quietly. Tristan looked down then he looked back up at her. "You look tired," he said quietly. "You should get some sleep, I plan on leaving early tomorrow." Emily nodded and lay her head down on the pillow, pulling the covers over her. "Good night Emily," Tristan said sweetly as he turned out the light. Emily smiled and looked over at him. He was already asleep. She smiled and closed her eyes.

Emily fell asleep quickly and slept peacefully through the night. The next morning she was awoken by a soft shake. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Tristan sitting on the edge of the bed looking down at her. He smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Morning beautiful," he said with a smile.

Emily turned the brightest shade of red imaginable when he said beautiful. She knew it probably meant nothing, just a casual greeting but no one had ever said that to her before so it meant a lot. She sat up slowly and accidentally bumped his head. "Sorry," she whispered. Tristan laughed and rubbed her forehead gently. He stood and packed up his suitcase. Emily stood and did the same with her backpack. It didn't take long for the two of them to be ready to go.

"You wanna get some breakfast," he asked with a smile. "There's a small diner down the street." Emily smiled but it quickly faded. She didn't have time for this she had to find Dean. "I don't have time, I'm in a hurry," she said softly.

"Well I'm driving and the driver won't get far without food so what say you that we stop for a little bit to get food?" Emily sighed and nodded. Tristan smiled and lifted her head to look at him. "Besides you look like you could use some food," he said with a smile. Emily smiled and followed him to his truck. They climbed inside and Tristan took off out of the parking lot. He stopped in the drive-thru of a McDonalds. They got some food and continued on the road.

Tristan told Emily that they should be in Salvation by the end of the day. That made her happy. Emily was quiet for most of the drive but every time she looked over at Tristan he was smiling at her. After about four hours of silence Tristan finally spoke. "You're different," he said simply. He laughed as he said it. "That sounds so stupid but I mean it in a good way." He smiled at her and they were silent again.

Several more hours passed and they came to a hotel in Salvation Iowa. Tristan pulled into the parking lot and Emily looked over at him. She thanked him and he smiled at her. As she was getting out he grabbed her arm gently and looked at her with a smile. "Hey, Emily," he said quietly. "Do you think maybe…. Maybe I could have your phone number or something? I'd… I'd like to keep in touch."

Emily smiled and nodded. Tristan handed her a piece of paper and she wrote down the number then handed it to him. The half of the paper that hadn't been written on Tristan used to write his number. He smiled and handed it to her and as he leaned over he placed a small innocent kiss on her cheek. Emily smiled and turned bright red. "It was nice meeting you Emily," he said with a smile as she got out of the truck. Emily smiled and nodded as she closed the door. She watched as Tristan reluctantly pulled away and she was left alone outside the hotel in Salvation, Iowa. There was now a new quest ahead of her. She had to find Dean.


	6. Chapter 6

She didn't bother to get a hotel room. She hoped she wouldn't need one. The boys would have one and she would stay with them. Emily took a moment standing in the parking lot to try and understand what happened. He kissed her, it wasn't much but still no one had done that before. Emily ran her fingertips over her cheek where his lips had been. She closed her eyes and a small smile formed on her lips. She looked down at the paper in her hand that contained his cell phone number. Emily smiled and put it in her bag next to the picture of Sam and Dean with their dad. When they were done she would make sure she called him. When she found Sam and Dean and everything calmed down.

Emily sighed and looked around. She threw her backpack over her shoulder and took a deep breath. The sun was setting and Emily started down the street hoping to at least find their car. She searched for hours up and down every street she could find. What she didn't know was that she kept missing them just by a few minutes. Emily stopped at a small diner and got something to eat. She had taken so of Jim's money, he wasn't going to need it. She took a few moments to calm down. She was worried, what if they moved on? Did they know about Jim? Was Dean even worried about her? She took her cell phone out and hovered over Dean's number. She called and again there was no answer. Emily sighed and shook her head. She paid for her meal and left the diner. It was late by then but she didn't have anywhere to stay. She turned down a road that she knew she had been on before. Emily had given up on her search to find them when she heard a familiar voice down the street.

Emily looked up and saw a black car parked on one side of the street. On the other side she saw Sam and Dean run into a house. Emily's heart stopped for a moment. She felt the worst sensation in the pit of her stomach. It reminded her of when that woman showed up at the church only much, much worse. Emily did her best to run towards the house. She stopped just outside when she heard a gunshot. Emily looked up towards one of the rooms and just as she looked up it caught fire. She screamed and took a step back just as two people, a man and a woman, ran out of the house. Following behind them was Sam and Dean behind him. He was holding a baby. Dean handed the baby to the woman. He didn't even seem to notice that Emily was standing there.

Emily, like Sam stood staring through the window of the burning room. Dean still hadn't seemed to notice that Emily was there. She vaguely heard Sam say something and out of the corner of her eye she saw him move towards the house. Dean stopped him, he said something but Emily couldn't really hear it. She looked through the window and saw a figure of a man. She knew what it was, who it was. It wasn't until Dean pulled Sam back and he ran into her that Emily looked at them. It wasn't until that moment that Dean knew she was there. "Emily," he said staring at her.

Sam turned when he heard her name and looked down at her. They both seemed surprised she was there. "You're… you're alive," Sam said softly.

Dean stood there silent for a long time. Emily looked at him and she thought she could see tears in his eyes. After a long pause she finally felt what she had been searching for. Dean stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. Emily finally had a chance to let it all out. She buried her head in Dean's chest and Dean could feel her body trembling in his arms. "Shh," he whispered to her, stroking her hair gently. Dean understood what was wrong. Though he never said it part of him hoped she died to. If she were dead she wouldn't have to live with what Dean knew she had seen.

They took her back to the hotel. The ride was a long and silent one. Sam was upset, Emily could tell but she couldn't figure out why. Emily knew that thing took their mother from them but like her, Sam had been an infant. She didn't understand why he seemed so much more upset than Dean. Of course, Emily had no knowledge of Jessica. Even if she knew about Jessica she couldn't comprehend the relationship, the deep feelings that Sam had for her. It was beyond Emily.

They got back to the hotel and Dean sat down with Emily on one bed and Sam on the other. Emily kept looking over at Sam while Dean spoke. "Emily," he whispered. Finally he turned her head to face him. "Are you all right," he asked softly. "How did you get here?" Dean sighed and looked down at his cell phone. He noticed he had several missed calls, all from Emily. Dean sighed once more. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Then Dean stood and tried to call their dad again. Still there was no answer. Emily curled up and rested her head on the pillow. It was nice to hear their voices again, even if they were upset. She vaguely listened to what Sam and Dean were saying. Why was Sam so angry? Then Dean said something about Jessica. Emily sat up just as Sam slammed Dean against the wall. Emily immediately went into her normal, frightened position of hugging her knees to her chest and burying her head in her arms. Who was Jessica? Sam spoke and it broke Emily's heart. There was so much pain in his voice. So much hurt. Emily couldn't understand it but she could hear it and it killed her to hear Sam like that. What hurt worse though was what Dean said. Emily knew he meant his family but his words still hurt her. "The three of us, that's all we have. That's all I have." Why wasn't Emily included? Who did she have if not at least Dean? His voice broke through her and she found tears rolling down her face. Sam backed away from Dean and Dean looked over at her. He saw her tears and walked over to sit next to her. "Shhh," he whispered again wiping away the girl's crystal tears. Dean sighed and stood, picking up the phone and calling their father once more.

Emily sat straight when she saw the look in Dean's eyes. He hung up the phone and said they had his father. Who were "they"? Dean had never taken the time to explain why him and his brother do what they do so Emily was confused and frightened. Sam and Dean argued about whether or not they should go. In the middle of it Emily stood. "Why," she said quietly. "Where? Who… what's… what's going on," she asked quietly. She was frustrated and now that she was more articulate than the last time she saw the Winchesters. 

Dean looked over at Emily. He was surprised that she spoke. She rarely spoke last time they met. Dean was caught off guard. He paused and looked down. "It's complicated," Dean said softly. "I'll tell you in the car," he said quickly as he finished packing up the car. Dean spent the entire ride to Lincoln explaining the last twenty plus years of their lives. Emily sat in the back seat of his car half listening. She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. The ride was long and rather unproductive. They still didn't find their father. Dean decided it would be best to stop by an old friend of their father's. His name was Bobby. Emily followed them into the house. They passed by a black dog sitting on the hood of a blue pick-up truck. The dog barked at her and she jumped, clinging to Dean. Dean simply looked down at her and laughed. "Its ok," he said with a smile. They walked into the house and Emily took a seat in the corner behind some books. She didn't really listen to much of what they were talking about. In her mind it didn't involve her.

At least she thought that till she realized that Bobby had turned to look at her. "This includes you little lady," he said simply. Emily sat there hugging her knees to her chest and stared at him. "You're in this storm with those boys. You better take good care of them."

"Ye… yes… yes sir," she said softly. There was something amusing in her voice as it caused Bobby to start laughing. Emily looked at Dean and he just smiled. She didn't understand what was so funny. Emily looked up when she heard a dog yelp and then there was silence. Bobby looked out the window. Seconds later the door burst open and a woman walked inside. Emily stood quickly and stared at the woman. It was the same she had seen kill Jim. Emily moved to go after her and Dean held her back. She glared at the woman and Dean moved in front of Emily. He made a move towards the woman and she threw him back, knocking Emily over as well. Emily hit her head on a desk and her world went black. She woke a few minutes later, her head on a small pillow. She sat up and saw the woman tied in a chair. Emily took a spot on top of a bookcase and sat there watching. She liked spots like that, small places she could curl up in.

She was excited for a moment, and then she heard Dean speak. She saw Dean backhand the woman. Emily vaguely heard Bobby mention that she was possessed. Emily glared down at the girl and she looked up at her. "Name's Meg," she said with a smile. "I remember you. You were that tiny little girl hiding in the church." So she had seen Emily. Why hadn't she killed her? "Did you enjoy the show?" Emily tried her best to stay put and not react to Meg's words. It was hard though. Emily had only felt anger like this once in her life and that was in her basement with her father. Dean had been there to save her from losing herself in her anger. Dean walked back to them and Sam started reading something. She watched Meg writhe in pain. To her terror, Emily got some enjoyment out of it. Dean's voice terrified her though. He was so angry. There was a darkness coming from him that made him no seem like Dean. He wanted to know where their father was, Emily understood that, but there was a line that had been drawn and Dean passed it long ago. Finally he got his answer. Dean told Sam to finish it. Emily knew that would kill Meg. Somewhere inside her she knew that Meg was just a frightened girl like herself. She could hear it, feel it, and see it. Emily jumped down from her perched position on a bookcase and stood in front of Dean. She looked up into his eyes trying to find the comforting Dean she once knew.

"Sammy, finish it," he said looking down at her and not Sam. Emily looked almost devastated by his words. She looked back at Sam and saw fear in his eyes. Emily bit her lip and looked down she closed her eyes and heard Sam finish what he was reading. Emily watched the demon leave Meg and her entire body go limp. Emily backed against the wall as Meg slowly raised her head. She was alive. Emily was amazed. There was strength in the girl that made Emily smile. She watched as Sam and Dean carefully lifted her out of the chair and set her down on the ground with a pillow under her head. Emily looked down at the girl. Meg looked up at her.

She said she had been that way for a year, awake for some of it. Emily watched and the girl locked eyes with her. "I am so… so…s… so sorry," Meg struggled to say. Emily simply smiled. It was a comforting smile, letting Meg know it was all right. Meg told them that the demon wasn't lying and where they could find their father. Then she took her last breath. Emily watched with some kind of childlike fascination. Dean stood and took Emily away so she wouldn't look at the body.

Emily looked up at Dean. She saw pain, remorse in his eyes. It was the same look he had when he killed her father. Emily didn't know what to say. She wanted to comfort Dean as he had done so much for her but she couldn't think of how. Dean walked away from her and they gathered their things and left.

As Emily was walking out she glanced back at Meg's body and Bobby took her arm. "You take care of those boys all right," he said with a smile. Emily nodded and walked out the door following Sam and Dean. She sat in the car and the ride to Jefferson City was silent. Emily stared out the window. After a while she looked down at the piece of paper she held that had Tristan's phone number on it. She smiled as she thought about him. His eyes, the softest kindest eyes she had ever seen. Emily bit her lip and stared out the window. Dean looked through the mirror and laughed when he saw her. He had seen that look before, but he wouldn't bring it up.

It wasn't as long of a ride as she thought it would be from Lincoln to Jefferson City. She got out of the car with the boys and stood leaning against the car as Sam read the book Bobby had given him. Dean rummaged through the trunk. Emily stared out at the bridge in the distance that went across the Missouri river. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She heard Sam and Dean start fighting again. Emily rolled her eyes and sighed. She turned to face him as Dean tossed the Colt in the trunk and closed the lid. "Stop it," she snapped at them. "Both of you. That's all I've heard since I found you." Her voice was strong, commanding. Dean couldn't help but think that maybe Jim had been right when he said Emily was doing much better.

The two walked along the river and Dean noticed a sign that said "Sunrise Apartments". It took a while, and some scheming but they eventually devised a plan that involved Sam pulling the fire alarm to get all the people out, or at least the people that weren't possessed. The plan irritated the hell out of Emily though. She wasn't involved at all. Dean waited for the fire department to arrive then he distracted the firefighters as Sam stole some of their uniforms. When they were ready to go in Dean took Emily around to the back of the building. "Emily," he said looking down at her. "Stay here, I'll come get you." Emily nodded reluctantly and waited for the three of them to show and for them to leave. She stood there for a long time. Emily noticed a man walking down the street. She got that same sick feeling she had with Meg and she studied him for a moment. Emily turned the corner and walked down the street a little. She took a spot hidden under a staircase, thinking she would still be able to see where Sam and Dean would be coming from.

Dean helped their father get out the window and out the fire escape. Suddenly something threw him back with an unbelievable force. He slammed against the windshield of a car and sat up. He saw the man straddling Sam and punching him repeatedly across the face. Dean watched for a moment as bruise after bruise appeared on Sam's face. Finally he took the Colt out of his belt, aimed, and pulled the trigger sending a bullet through the man's head. He stood and walked over to help Sammy up. Dean carried Sam over to where their father was. He stopped when he realized that Emily was nowhere to be found. His heart raced. Dean set Sam down next to their father and looked around. "Emily," he shouted. "Emily!" Dean looked down at his father and brother. They were barely conscious and Dean knew more demons would be coming soon. He couldn't wait anymore. Dean had to get them out of there. He made a note in his mind to make sure that he came back to find her. Then Dean helped Sam and his father up. He put them in his car and tore off down the rode.

Emily waited and waited until the sun started to go down. Dean never did find her. She stood and walked back to where she was supposed to meet them and saw a body on the ground. It was that same man from before. Emily realized that Dean must have killed him then taken Sam and their father somewhere else. Tears filled her eyes. He didn't take her. She was lost and alone again. Emily closed her eyes and tears slowly fell down her pale cheeks. After a moment she felt that same nauseous feeling and she looked around. There were about four people coming towards her. Emily did the first thing she thought of. She ran. Emily ran as fast as she could down the street, down the highway into the middle of nowhere. It was dark now, very late at night when she finally stopped. She continued walking. It was as if something was leading her. She didn't know where she was going but at the same times he knew exactly where she was going.

Emily turned and walked down a side road. She followed it until she spotted Dean's car outside of a small old house. She walked over and glanced through the window, seeing Sam pinned against the wall. It wasn't until she saw Dean that Emily realized what was going on. Emily's heart stopped. She felt as though she was being torn apart from the inside. She looked through the window once more and saw Dean. She could hear his cries. Something took over Emily at that moment. She walked towards the door and kicked it open with all her strength. John turned to face Emily, his eyes an almost florescent yellow.

Emily stood in the doorway her head lowered a little. Her hair fell in her face and covered her eyes. There was darkness and strength that emanated off of her. She looked up at John with only her eyes her head was still lowered. There was a dark, menacing look in her eyes. John simply smiled and walked over to her. She turned and seemed to circle around him. "I know you," he said simply. "Ah, yes I remember. Emily Reynolds," he said with a hint of pride. "You," he closed his eyes and smiled. Emily glanced over at Dean and saw his head drop down and blood drip from his mouth. Anger and rage fueled inside her. It was far more than anything she had experienced. What Emily felt inside her was pure hatred. "I had so many plans for you Emily. You were… you were always one of the strongest. Even as an infant I knew your potential. The power you possessed. Don't you feel it?" John glanced over at Dean and smiled. "You care for him? He takes care of you."

Emily glared at him and stood between him and Dean's lifeless body that was still pinned to the wall. "He took care of me," she said softly, a malicious tone in her voice. "He's always taken care of me." Emily paused and raised her head to look John square in the eyes. "My turn," she said simply. A split second after that John slammed against the wall. Emily walked towards him. John tried to move but couldn't. "Its not so much fun now is it," she asked quietly. John tried to speak but found himself unable to breathe.

Sam watched from the wall and after a moment he dropped to his feet and Dean to the ground. He took a deep breath and Sam ran to his side. "Are you all right," he asked. Dean nodded and looked to their father. Sam looked over at them and he picked the Colt up off the table. He looked at the demon in his father's body.

The demon smiled and laughed. With a sudden push Emily flew back against the other wall where Dean had been before. Her head slammed against the wall and she fell to the floor again next to Dean. Emily stood up slowly and she glared at him. She wasn't able to stand for very long though. After a moment she fell to the ground next to Dean once more. Dean managed to move over and he rolled her onto her back, looking down to make sure she was all right.

Sam held the gun at his father and pulled the trigger, shooting him in the leg. He stood over his father with the gun, ready to shoot. Then he heard that voice. It wasn't the demon speaking. John was begging Sam to shoot him. Dean kept pleading for Sam not to shoot him. Emily was half conscious and she tried to follow what was going on but it was hard. Finally Sam lowered the gun and just after that the demon left John's body. Emily sat up slowly. She was stronger than Dean and she held him up. Emily looked over at him and smiled. "I took care of you," she whispered. He smiled faintly at her and nodded. Sam and Emily helped get John and Dean into the car. Sam drove, John was in the front passenger seat next to him, Dean was in the back on the driver's side, and Emily sat next to him, hugging her knees to her chest.

Dean had lost a lot of blood and Emily kept looking over at him. Her heart was racing. Dean was all she had left if he died she'd be alone, even if Sam was still here. Dean was her protector, her lifeline. Sam drove as fast as he could down the street. He fought with his father about the bullet and Emily noticed him looked through the mirror at Dean. She looked over at Dean and smiled, taking his hand in hers. Everything would be all right, she was sure of it. Then with a sudden jolt Emily flew across the car and landed next to Dean. She was able to curl up in a small enough ball that she didn't get crushed. She looked up and was the only one of them to see what hit them, a large semi-truck. Emily felt a warm red liquid flow down her face. She looked up and realized that it was not only her blood but Dean's as well. She looked up at his face and it was the last thing she saw before Emily clenched her hand around his and everything went black.


End file.
